Mayor outlines 2026 budget plan emphasizing utilities, capital projects and conservative estimates

Mayor Balorucci presented the city of Napoleon’s proposed fiscal 2026 budget, thanking department heads, city manager Laurie Sinclair and finance director Kevin Garinger for months of preparation and saying the administration aims for conservative revenue and prudent spending.

"We always estimate our revenues to be a little bit lower than what we hope to get, and then our expenses ... higher than what we're actually gonna spend," Balorucci said during the presentation. He highlighted that the city maintains a 65/35 split of income-tax receipts between general and capital funds.

The mayor listed estimated 2026 revenues and major expense categories: income tax of about $5,700,000; electric utility revenue of about $17,000,000; water and sewer utilities at roughly $4,000,000 each. He said salaries and fringe benefits are projected at about $14,500,000, operating expenses just under $19,000,000, purchase-of-power around $13.5 million, capital improvements about $1.6 million and debt payments about $2.6 million.

Balorucci identified major capital projects proposed for 2026: West Clinton and Erie Street improvements estimated at $1,300,000, North Perry Street improvements at about $825,000, and a river-crossing water-line design estimated at $5,000,000. He also noted a $100,000 estimated cost to update the city zoning code and $143,000 to replace the municipal court’s air-conditioning unit.

The presentation included planned equipment purchases and utility investments: two replacement police vehicles (~$170,000), continued work on the AMI meter project (~$200,000, about 60% complete), a ditch trencher (~$100,000), a sewer-cleaning combo truck (~$585,000), annual water-treatment membrane replacement budgeted at $250,000 and an enterprise substation improvement project (~$750,000). A parks/golf chemical sprayer and utility tractor was estimated at $102,000.

Finance director Kevin Garinger briefed council that the appropriation ordinance and more than 70 individual funds will be considered during the formal ordinance process and requested council advance the related budget items to second reading.

The council voted to pass the appropriation ordinance on first read and to move multiple budget-related items to second read for full consideration in subsequent meetings. The administration said it is pursuing roughly $5,000,000 in potential grant funding tied to the river crossing and other projects.

Council members and staff praised the budget work and operations responses to recent water-main breaks; no final budget adoption occurred at this meeting because several items were advanced for additional readings.